Something to Help

Something to Help

Philomena, his twin sister, was to return from a cross Canada trip. Her twin, Phil was to pick her up at the airport in Hartley. They had never liked being separated as children and into their teens. Different as adults, Philomena wanted to go to University on the mainland - thus her cross Canada trip. Phil had yet to decide. “Phillie, you know exactly what you want to wear and your closet is so neat it drives me crazy. Why can’t you make a simple decision about whether to go to University or not. We both had awesome grades. But look at you! All tanned and rugged looking.” Phil gave his sister a bear hug when he saw her at the airport. “Already talking and we haven’t even got to the car yet! I’ve been working hard. Dad may be the boss doing his contractor thing, but I’ve been hanging off scaffolding on some of his buildings unless it’s been raining. And there’s not been much rain in the last couple of weeks. Weird for the Island, but I’ll take it. Tell me all about your trip.” His sister was almost asleep in her seat, but had heard every word her brother said. “Now that I’m sitting, I’m not sure I can tell you much. So sleepy. It’s.. been..a… long…..” Phil took his eyes of the road long enough to glance at his sister. “Sound asleep. I’ll just put some music on low and quiet.” The airport traffic wasn’t very heavy, and they had missed the ferry traffic to the island.

~~~~~

When Philomena woke up she didn’t know where she was. “Has the plane landed? What’s this strap across my chest…….Phillie what are you doing here?….” Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and realized where she was. “Wow! Are we almost home? I hope mom’s got something in the fridge, I’m starving. Haven’t eaten anything since Edmonton, except the cookies they give you on the plane. I feel so gross. I need a shower.” She sniffed the air around her. “Can you smell me Phillie?” Big sigh. Phil was laughing at his sister. He had hoped that the trip would cure her of her chatterbox, but on that drive home was just glad to hear her voice. “You smell just fine - like you’ve been on an airplane all day. How far did you get?” She was scrolling on her cellphone. “What? Oh, I got all the way to Winnipeg. Not exactly cross Canada, but far enough for me. I had been 100 Universities and talked to a million registrars and their secretaries. Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Every place was nice and I applied at most of them. I had all my paperwork with me. Could have done it online, but I wanted to see the places first. Good excuse for a trip too. I’ve just gotten tired of working any old job. Want to stretch my wings.” She was silent for so long, her brother thought she’d gone back to sleep. “I just want to do something that will make a difference, not just in my world but in the whole world. Maybe….No, it isn’t.” Phil glanced at her. “What isn’t?” They always knew what the other was thinking, but he decided to check. “I’ll never make a difference in the whole world, but maybe the world of one person. And no, I don’t want to be a nurse. Mom always wanted me in nursing just because she was a nurse. Nursing is a whole lot different now. Don’t tell her but I did check out a couple of nursing programs. Not for me.” Phil turned into their parents driveway. “Look at us! Two grown adults still living at home. That’s what else I want different, brother dear. I love mom and dad to bits but I really need to be away from them to figure out my own life. And that’s what you need too, Phillie.” Her brother got her bags from the trunk of his beat up car. “Dressed to the nines all the time and you’re driving this old beater!” His sister, had taken a big leather bag from the back sea and and slung it over her shoulder. “What have you got in these suitcases, Menie! They didn’t weigh that much when I took you to the plane.” His sister’s face screwed up. “Don’t call me that! It was okay when we were kids, but my name is Philomena, thank you very much. I’ll still get the door for you so you don’t stumble over my loot.” Opening the front door, she called in “Mom! Dad! I’m home and hungry. That chicken smells delicious and is that apple pie too!” Phil barely carried her luggage through the door before their parents were there. Hugging his sister, his mother was crying and his father had a permanent grin on his face. “Hey you guys, slowdown, you’d think I’d been gone to another country for ten years. I’ve only been gone three months. And I’ve talked with you every day.”

~~~~~

Her parents had so many questions to ask their daughter. Gathering around the dinner table, it was so good to have their children home - grown or not. They were disappointed though. Phil knew what would happen. Philomena filled up her plate, looking forward to a good home cooked meal. One bite of her mashed potatoes and gravy, she laid down her fork as though it was too heavy to lift. “I have to go to bed, mom. I’ll get up in a couple of hours and have something to eat. I’m just too exhausted.” She saw the concerned, but understanding, look on her mothers face. “But I can tell you that coming in on the plane this morning, I saw the mountains and the waters. I knew then that I just wanted to be home. Tomorrow when I go through my information from the Universities, I’ll decide where I want to be. Just somewhere that I can help.” She kissed her parents, ruffled her brother’s too neat hair and went to bed. “Good night, family.”

“I cannot do all the good that the world needs. 

But the world needs all the good that I can do.”

~ Jana Stanfield, Youtube musician 

(from her song All the Good)

From news.un.org:

"May 5, 2023 / Health

The head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has declared 'with great hope' an end to COVIDD-19 as a public health emergency, stressing that is does not mean the disease is no longer a global threat.